Save Me From Myself
by Temari of the Desert
Summary: A story I wrote a long time ago. Naruto's dying on the inside, and the only one that can save him is the sister of the sand shinobi he had saved three years ago. Naruto x Temari


**Title: Save Me from Myself **

**Summary: Naruto's dying on the inside. The only one that can save him is the sister of the boy he had saved three years ago. Angst. **

**Pairings: Naruto x Temari**

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She knew the fox boy was dying. Nobody else could see it, but she could. She had seen the look in Gaara's eyes before Naruto had changed him. He was dying, losing the sense of himself. She couldn't let that happen, she knew she couldn't. The boy meant so much to her, she owed him so much. She couldn't let him die, on the inside, or on the outside. She couldn't let his heart ache; she couldn't let his body pour crimson rivers.

"Naruto…" She said softly. The boy was losing control of himself. He was creating a storm, a storm of red chakra that he couldn't control that he couldn't even dream of controlling. She had to stop him at all costs. She had to stop the suffering, the insanity he was feeling. She had to; otherwise she'd lose herself. She fought her way through the chakra storm, and when she finally got close to him, he turned towards her, his eyes a dark red, fangs exposed. "…Naruto…" It was like a sad, distant echo of some old, faded memory.

The red chakra was cutting into her, cutting through her clothes, through her flesh, making red blood ooze out of the slits in her skin. It was only a small pain here and there, and she knew she could handle it. She knew, if she could stop the boy in the storm's eye she could stop the chakra from slicing her, hurting her. That was her goal. To save the boy from being engulfed in his own misery from the years of loneliness and being mistreated. She was saving the boy from himself.

She knew what she was doing was dangerous. She knew she could be killed. The boy's lack of self-control had reached its max. She had to bring him back. Bring back the boy that was not engulfed in his own misery, a silly grin almost always etched into his features, the carefree attitude hiding the loneliness he felt.

Her arms went over his shoulders, pulling him into her, her head resting between his shoulder blade and his neck. She pulled him closer to her, tightening the embrace. She allowed all the feelings she had ever felt radiate from her to him. Her fingernails dug slightly into his back, as she squeezed her eyes shut, praying, hoping the boy would calm down. That the boy would realize what he was doing.

The chakra storm slowed, but didn't disappear. The boy looked at the girl who was embracing him. The girl he had never dreamed would come to save him. The girl he had least expected to care. He parted his lips, his voice gentle despite the storm he was creating through his emotional breakdown, "…Temari…" He said her name like it was something holy. Something that deserved everything he could give. Something that he would do anything to protect. He pulled her slightly away from him, so he could look at her.

She was crying, and he was crying too. He pulled her into him, pulling her into a gentle kiss. The chakra storm died down completely, and they were left out in the open, entwined in a passionate kiss that each person had wanted for so long, but hadn't found a way to express what they wanted without being hurt.

Temari had saved him from himself. From the wicked fate he had planned for himself. The two pulled apart at last, Temari hung on him, still holding the boy in a gentle embrace, proud of her courage in approaching him in his time in need, presenting him with her true feelings in a way that took every ounce of mental strength that she had. She had admitted her feelings in a physical way, in a way that she could never take back.

The boy now slumped against her, more tired than he could ever remember being. Temari was his only support, and he trusted her to be able to hold him up, to be able to protect him. She had saved him, and she would protect him until he was well enough for it to be the vice versa. He would protect her, he would protect her at the cost of his life. He knew he would. But first… he'd have to sleep, lulled by the comfort of having her in his arms. Truly, he had all he wanted, right in his arms.

When the boy awoke, the sky was above him, and there was something near him. Something warm, something with variations of hard and soft. He rolled over, something told him to be quick but unnoticeable about it. When he saw who was lying next to him, he realized why. It was Temari, her face, skin, and clothes still sliced from the chakra storm he had produced in his moment of absolute despair. He felt guilty about the pain he had caused her… it must have hurt, to have him hurting her like that.

Her eyelids fluttered open softly, her eyes staring into the blue eyes of the boy that had been sleeping next to her. She didn't speak; she didn't have anything to say. She knew the boy wasn't saved. Not yet. But she knew she could save him. She knew she could pull him out of his misery. She only had to say one thing to him, "…Naruto…" She said softly, not moving. Her eyes wandered the curves of his face, taking in his features.

"Yeah, Temari?" He could hear his heart thumping as he stared at her. He stared at her with such intensity, he knew that she wouldn't be able to turn away from him. He had her eyes fixed upon him, never looking away.

"You don't have to be alone anymore." She meant what she said, and she knew he'd know that. She didn't have to say anything more than that, she knew he would push her away. She knew she had found the place where she'd be accepted. He'd accept her no matter what, and she knew it. He knew it too. And they both knew that she'd accept him. They had found something they both had been searching for.

"I love you."

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A/N: It is done.


End file.
